Bullitt Movie Colors

Factual Questions
1

Mods: This is a technical question whi I think has a factual answer rather than a commentart for Cafe Society. Feel free to move if necessary.

I’m watching Bullitt (again!) on AMC cable right now and I’m struck by the quality of the colors and brightness of the movie itself. So many times when watching older movies the colors are washed out and the brightness is very poor.

Yet, every time I’ve watched Bullitt (again!), no matter which TV or cable channel broadcasts it, the richness of the color stands out.

What gives? Surely, the prints will fade with repeated use. Did anyone have the foresight to copy to videotape early on to preserve the quality? Even during the chase scenes you can see blue skies and whispy clouds from inside the car.

2

I recall that sometime in the '60’s there was a major improvement in the quality of color film for movies. It might be that Bullitt just happens to be the earliest film in which you noticed this change. Perhaps you can contact William A. Fraker, the cinematographer for Bullitt, and ask him how he got the film to look so good:

http://us.imdb.com/Name?Fraker,%20William%20A.

He’s still alive, and more surprisingly, still working.